Best practices for the new laminate floor owner?
July 1, 2017 4:37 PM Subscribe
We just replaced our old nasty carpet with new laminate flooring. It looks great! How do we keep it that way? Do we need special cleaning stuff? Do we need to put something on the bottom of the furniture? Does it have to be waxed or something? Help me keep it looking nice!
I use a Shark steam mop on mine, but I have the old school Pergo that is 15 years old (it's different from the newer stuff). The Swiffer Sweeper Vac is a-maz-ing.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 5:06 PM on July 1, 2017
posted by PorcineWithMe at 5:06 PM on July 1, 2017
Standing liquid will soak between the gaps and the laminate will swell pretty noticeably, so make soaking up spills a priority. Other than that, careful with dropping stuff on it that is heavy/sharp enough to dent it because that’s not fixable, really.
Otherwise, enjoy it! We do.
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 7:52 PM on July 1, 2017
Otherwise, enjoy it! We do.
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 7:52 PM on July 1, 2017
Best answer: I just sweep the floor clean each day, then once a week I lightly spray Zep and wipe it dry with a dust mop. I worry about any water puddling on the floor - it can ruin laminate. Maybe the Shark steam mops are able to dry the floor as they clean or maybe laminate floors have improved since mine were installed, but I still recommend that you clean up spills immediately!
posted by kbar1 at 7:54 PM on July 1, 2017
posted by kbar1 at 7:54 PM on July 1, 2017
Best answer: I do try to use at least felt pads on the bottom of my furniture.
When I moved into this house (laminate in every fucking part of the house, including the destroyed kitchen floor, except the bathrooms), I put out a plea and a friend of mine who cleans vacation beach houses (all cheap laminate) told me a vacuum and the dollar-store version of the wet Swiffer pads (not Wet Jet, just the wet pads) were her go-to, and several people agreed.
I've been using them for three years now, there's nothing they haven't gotten up off the floor without more than a few extra back-and-forths. Use both sides, and don't expect to get more than a room, room and half out of each one because they dry up pretty quick (we have a lot of rugs, a lot a lot, so only mostly mop the exposed areas, so I can do all the common areas on one or maybe one and a half pads).
Moisture is your worst enemy. This is why our kitchen is a nightmare (I pointed to it when we moved in and told the landlord, "I guarantee you the dishwasher is very slightly leaking"), and our central A/C unit will freeze up and then thaw into the bathroom and hallway at night, and it's started curling the edges of the hallway laminate. We use enormous comfort-standing pads near the sink and oven to keep it from getting any worse (Costco has the best ones, if they still have them, they're nearly 3 feet long), and we use fully rubber-backed doormats/bathroom rugs under the dogs' water bowls and by the back door where the dogs come in with wet feet when it rains.
The reason the Swiffer-style wet pads are so good is that they've got enough alcohol in them to evaporate very quickly, and it also is a strong enough solvent to move even sticky drips pretty well.
I did scratch it in one place dragging a couch that picked up a big piece of grit under one of the feet. There have been other times where I was sure I scratched it but I didn't, so it's tougher than you think, but not impervious.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:09 PM on July 1, 2017
When I moved into this house (laminate in every fucking part of the house, including the destroyed kitchen floor, except the bathrooms), I put out a plea and a friend of mine who cleans vacation beach houses (all cheap laminate) told me a vacuum and the dollar-store version of the wet Swiffer pads (not Wet Jet, just the wet pads) were her go-to, and several people agreed.
I've been using them for three years now, there's nothing they haven't gotten up off the floor without more than a few extra back-and-forths. Use both sides, and don't expect to get more than a room, room and half out of each one because they dry up pretty quick (we have a lot of rugs, a lot a lot, so only mostly mop the exposed areas, so I can do all the common areas on one or maybe one and a half pads).
Moisture is your worst enemy. This is why our kitchen is a nightmare (I pointed to it when we moved in and told the landlord, "I guarantee you the dishwasher is very slightly leaking"), and our central A/C unit will freeze up and then thaw into the bathroom and hallway at night, and it's started curling the edges of the hallway laminate. We use enormous comfort-standing pads near the sink and oven to keep it from getting any worse (Costco has the best ones, if they still have them, they're nearly 3 feet long), and we use fully rubber-backed doormats/bathroom rugs under the dogs' water bowls and by the back door where the dogs come in with wet feet when it rains.
The reason the Swiffer-style wet pads are so good is that they've got enough alcohol in them to evaporate very quickly, and it also is a strong enough solvent to move even sticky drips pretty well.
I did scratch it in one place dragging a couch that picked up a big piece of grit under one of the feet. There have been other times where I was sure I scratched it but I didn't, so it's tougher than you think, but not impervious.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:09 PM on July 1, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by so fucking future at 4:49 PM on July 1, 2017